House backs hospital staffing standards bill by wide margin
A bill prescribing new procedures for drafting, deploying and enforcing of hospital staffing plans passed by an overwhelming margin in the state House on Thursday and will now go to the governor for signing. Senate Bill 5236 requires a committee of administrators and nurses of a hospital to agree on how many nursing staff will be assigned in each patient care unit, and how workers will be assured of getting proper rest and meal breaks. Those details will be written into staffing plans. The bill represents a compromise between hospitals and nurses, who fought each other on staffing standards last session. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Kevin Clark)
Washington trying to ban out-of-state puppy mills from selling in state
Pet stores will no longer be able to source their dogs from out-of-state puppy mills or offer loans for people to purchase dogs if a bill that passed the Washington State Senate on Wednesday becomes law. The proposal, sponsored by Rep. April Berg, D-Mill Creek, aims to protect animals and protect customers from high-interest loans. It passed the state Senate 39-9, with one senator excused. The bill would patch loopholes in a 2022 law that prevented pet stores from selling dogs, with exceptions for stores that had been selling dogs prior to the law’s enactment. One loophole allowed pet stores to source their dogs from out-of-state puppy mills that didn’t comply with Washington’s dog breeding laws. Under this year’s bill, pet stores would have to source their dogs directly from breeders compliant with Washington law or brokers certified by the United States Department of Agriculture. Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jim Camden)
WA lawmakers crack down on robocalls
In these divided times, at least one topic can stoke bipartisan fervor: robocalls. House Bill 1051, which passed the Washington Senate unanimously on Wednesday, would place restrictions on robocalls, where an automated message plays when you pick up the phone or listen to a voicemail. The bill, which also passed the House unanimously in February, now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk. The bill prohibits solicitations to people on the Do Not Call Registry, according to the Washington Attorney General’s office, and gives that office the authority to enforce that ban in state court. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson requested the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-University Place. Continue reading at Seattle Times.
Axios
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Capital Press
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Columbian
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Everett Herald
Snohomish County reactions to the official end of state’s mask mandate
Marysville grocery workers protest Kroger-Albertsons merger
House backs hospital staffing standards bill by wide margin
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News Tribune
The City of Lakewood’s camping ban goes into effect soon. Here’s what you need to know.
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Olympian
261 Washingtonians honored at ‘Gift of Life’ ceremony for organ donors
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Puget Sound Business Journal
King County population rebounds due to spike in this demographic
‘This is progress’: WA lawmakers pass bill to address nurse staffing
Seattle Medium
Gun Buyback Programs Still Around
Seattle Times
WA lawmakers crack down on robocalls (Stanford, Leavitt)
King County home prices plunge 10% as Northwest housing market shifts
Bill to eliminate time limits for child sex-abuse lawsuits stalls in WA Senate (Rolfes, Farivar, Mullet)
Editorial: Overdose deaths in public housing prompt difficult policy choices
Opinion: Idaho’s transgender-care ban is cruel and the worst kind of hypocrisy
Spokesman Review
Washington trying to ban out-of-state puppy mills from selling in state (Berg)
Pair of bills aiming to reduce nursing shortages in Washington pass Legislature on Thursday (Riccelli)
Opinion: Lawmakers should do more to maintain adequate blood supply in Washington state
Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla Community College begins strategic planning process
Yakima Herald-Republic
Efforts continue at Fort Simcoe to share boarding school history
Broadcast
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Bipartisan anti-doxing bill passes state Senate (Hansen)
KNKX Public Radio
The job market is cooling as higher interest rates and a slowing economy take a toll
Tacoma, Redmond mayors push back on ‘misleading’ realtors’ ads (Chopp)
KUOW Public Radio
Rolling toward Washington state: support for e-bikes
Idaho’s ‘abortion trafficking’ law prompts pushback from Washington leaders
WA lawmakers make final deals on policy, budget proposals
KXLY (ABC)
New campaign educates young adults on how to use Naloxone
Working Families Tax Credit provides extra funds for local families in need
Spokane County cities come together to create a plan to tackle homelessness
WA Department of Commerce invests over $24 million toward homeownership programs
NW Public Radio
NW scientists study the promises – and challenges – of offshore wind
Web
Cascadia Daily News
WTA looks to go hybrid with next bus order
MyNorthwest
Proposed assault weapons ban a point of tension for Lynnwood City Council